Removable media continues to be a valuable productivity tool that facilitates quick and easy data access while improving collaboration, but the looming risk of data loss and the introduction of malware through removable media is a very real, costly concern for organizations. In fact, the latest estimated cost of a data breach incident, according to the 2010 annual study by the Ponemon Institute, is up to $7.2 million – or $214 per compromised record; and this figure will only continue to increase as new regulations are put into effect that impose criminal penalties on the organizations involved.

In order to better enable organizations to gain control of their increasingly unsecure removable media, Lumension®, a global leader in endpoint management and security, today announced that Lumension® Device Control is now available as a modular offering on the Lumension® Endpoint Management and Security Suite (L.E.M.S.S.) alongside other best-in-class capabilities that include: patch management, configuration management, power management, antivirus, application control, and asset management.

Lumension® Device Control automates the discovery of devices, defines and enforces device use and data encryption policies by user or group, and provides detailed forensic information to track data events. Additional key features include:

Malware prevention – Prevent malware intrusion and propagation via removable devices which adds a layer of protection to the network.

Detailed forensics – Monitor all files being transferred onto and off the network by file metadata or the patented bi-directional full file shadowing capability.

Defense – in – depth – Leverage a seamless layer of protection with a defense-in-depth strategy on the Lumension Endpoint Management and Security Suite.

“Recent headlines remind us of the importance of protecting our data while also ensuring the ability to keep employees productive,” said C. Edward Brice, senior vice president, worldwide marketing, Lumension. “By integrating Device Control onto L.E.M.S.S., we are able to offer a more complete, multi-layered, defense-in-depth endpoint security approach with simplified management of systems, agents, and policies because of the centralized endpoint management platform.”

Lumension’s Device Control will debut at Gartner’s Risk and Security Summit in Washington, DC, where Lumension’s security and forensics analyst, Paul Henry will speak on the topic, “Rethinking Your Endpoint Security Strategy” on June 21. General availability is the end of June.

About Lumension Lumension Security, Inc., a global leader in endpoint management and security, develops, integrates and markets security software solutions that help businesses protect their vital information and manage critical risk across network and endpoint assets. Lumension enables more than 5,100 customers worldwide to achieve optimal security and IT success by delivering a proven and award-winning solution portfolio that includes Vulnerability Management, Endpoint Protection, Data Protection, Antivirus and Reporting and Compliance offerings. Lumension is known for providing world-class customer support and services 24x7, 365 days a year. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Lumension has operations worldwide, including Virginia, Texas, Utah, Florida, Ireland, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Singapore. Lumension: IT Secured. Success Optimized.™ More information can be found at www.lumension.com.